Some people search the world
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day one hundred and twelve: VALENTINES #7 Mercedes has been working on a present for James on their first Valentine's Day together.


Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a second cycle, and then a third, fourth, and fifty cycle. Now here's cycle 6!

Valentine's Day is coming, of course I couldn't ignore it! So I picked ten couples (some with OC characters) and set them for a love fest! :D Then on Valentine's Day, a group story! (not that kind of group, minds out of the gutter!) *cough* Anyhoo...  
**Valentine for the Gleeks, 7 of 11: Mercedes & James**

* * *

**"Some people search the world"  
Mercedes/James  
Sequel to It's a voice & Lessons in the signs of love**

She'd never cared for Valentine's Day. It was just any other day, perhaps one to treat herself to some chocolate without dentist daddy giving her a look. The way everyone else just went mad with romance, she just blocked it… she didn't have anyone to be romantic with, so why should she care about the others.

This was the first year where it mattered. She wasn't alone this year… she had James. They were dating, boyfriend and girlfriend and the whole lot… As February had begun, she couldn't help wondering what would happen on the fourteenth…

She already had something she'd been working on, a present in a way. She hadn't been sure when to 'give' it to him, and then she'd turned the page on the calendar, and it had hit her… she'd give it to him for Valentine's Day.

James still sent her videos of him signing songs to her, but her 'proper ASL education' was now the property of James' friend Bianca. She and Mercedes had become friends as well, through their lessons. Their growing ease with one another had greatly helped in Mercedes' learning. It had also led to their project.

She had so many signed songs from him, she wanted him to have one from her. Once she'd made her song choice, Bianca had started showing it to her. Like anything, she wanted to get it as good as possible before she sent anything to James. She would send her attempts to Bianca, insisting that she be honest in her corrections.

Finally, in the last days before 'the big day,' she finally felt she was good and ready. She had the song down, could do it in her sleep. So after a final little bit of practice, she'd set the camera, and she'd hit 'record.' Standing back, she let the song start to play in her mind. She sang along as she signed.

"_I just want you close / Where you can stay forever / You can be sure / That it will only get better / You and me together / Through the days and nights / I don't worry cause / Everything's gonna be alright / People keep talking / They can say what they like / But all I know is everything's gonna be alright"_

Part of her felt as though this should have made her nervous. As confident as she was in performing, this was a new beast entirely. She'd been singing for years… it wasn't as though it had lost its shine for her, but this was new to her… expression through her hands. She'd never appreciated how much they could say.

"_No one no one no one / Can get in the way of what I'm feeling / No one no one no one / Can get in the way of what I feel for you / You you / Can get in the way of what I feel for you"_

Being with James, signing with him, she felt like they were in their very impenetrable bubble. There was something about that which she really liked… they were set apart among those around her.

"_When the rain is pouring down / And my heart is hurting / You will always be around / This I know for certain _

_You and me together / Through the days and nights / I don't worry cause / Everything's gonna be alright / People keep talking / They can say what they like / But all I know is everything's gonna be alright"_

She couldn't explain how much having him in her life meant. When she was frustrated about something and couldn't tell those in Glee Club, or her parents, she had James. As always, the distance would play tricks on them, but they worked around it. If they didn't let it bother them, then it was harmless. At the same time, she saw it semi-positively. If he was willing to drive back and forth to see her like this, then it had to mean something.

"_No one no one no one / Can get in the way of what I'm feeling / No one no one no one / Can get in the way of what I feel for you / You you / Can get in the way of what I feel"_

She knew he was planning something for them for Valentine's Day. As much as he tried, he was not a very discreet person. It had taken a lot of self-control on both their parts for them to keep it at 'there are plans being made' and nothing more. She liked not knowing… as anxious as she was, it actually made the days go by faster. She would have been sure it would have been the opposite.

"_I know some people search the world / To find something like what we have / I know people will try / Try to divide / Something so real / So til the end of time / I'm telling you there ain't no one"_

A few days before, James had called to make sure she would be free on that Sunday. She assured him she would be… so she knew he'd be driving down. She had to decide then: would she try and get him the video before he came, or have it waiting when he got back? She finally decided on the second option.

"_No one no one no one / Can get in the way of what I'm feeling / No one no one no one / Can get in the way of what I feel for you / oh oh oh...."_

She had just sent the video when the doorbell rang. Her mother didn't call for her, which told her James was on his way up to her room. She wheeled her chair back to check her reflection in the mirror. She adjusted her hair before rolling back to her desk.

Hearing a knock, she smiled and turned. She didn't see him… she saw his hand, held out... he had a rose. She went on smiling.

"That for me?" she teased. Remembering he couldn't hear her, or see her lips to read them, she got up, grasping his arm and pulling him into the room. "For me?" she spoke and signed.

"Who else?" he pointed out, looking around. "I could give it to your mother," he made to turn.

"No, no," she laughed, stopping him. He turned back to her, officially giving her the flower. They leaned in, kissed…

"Happy Valentine's Day," he nodded.

"You too," she nodded. "I sent you a present…" she smiled. He smirked.

"Sent?"

"You'll see when you get home," she insisted. "Trust me, you'll like it."

When they spoke on the computer again, he had a great big grin on his face… it was just as she'd hoped.

THE END


End file.
